Finland gained great experience from participating in last year's World League, when they finished 13th, and they have a new coach, Argentine Daniel Castellani replacing Italian Mauro Berruto. Finland's biggest success to date was the fourth-place finish in the 2007 European Championships. They have participated 13 times in the final round of the European Championship, placing in the top 10 four times. They have taken part in the World Championships six times, but the last time was in 1982, when they finished 17th. Currently, several players play professionally in different European leagues. Setter Mikko Esko plays for Italian A1 League team Modena and has also played in Belgium and Germany. Other Finnish players in Italy include Konstantin Shumov at Loreto, Jari Tuominen and Urpo Sivula at Monza, Matti Oivanen at Piacenza and team captain Jukka Lehtonen at A2-Ravenna. There are three Finnish players in Greece (Olli Kunnari at Olympiakos, Olli-Pekka Ojansivu and Matti Hietanen at PAOK), while Mikko Oivanen plays in Poland (Rzeszow). In the World League, Finland finished eighth in 2009, 10th in 2008, seventh in 2007, 10th in 2006 and 12th in 1993. Finland won silver in the 2005 European League.

Argentinian Daniel Castellani was named coach of Finland in 2011 following two years with Poland, who he led to victory at the 2009 European Championship. Castellani played for Argentine side Obras Sanitarias, Italian sides Cheiti, Falconara, Bologna, Padova and Firenze, and Brazilian sides Atlantic Boavista and Minas. He won a bronze medal at the 1982 FIVB World Championships with Argentina and another bronze at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.